Still no move by Brit data cops over Google's 2012 privacy slurp

Even the Italian databinieri have got their boots on now, but not the ICO

Britain's data cops are still investigating Google's sneaky privacy policy tweak from last year, even though many of its counterparts elsewhere in Europe have already taken action against the advertising giant.

On Monday, Italy's regulator warned Google that it had 18 months to comply with the Rome's demands or else face fines and, reportedly, possible criminal proceedings.

The Italian watchdog said that Google's decision, in 2012, to swiftly cut and amalgamate around 60 privacy policies into one to allow the company to slurp data from its users across its vast online estate of services from Gmail to YouTube, as well as its ubiquitous search engine, failed to adequately address Italian data law.

Google has been told that it is not allowed to use the data it scoops up from it services for "profiling purposes" unless it obtains consent from individuals and makes it clear that it plans to use that information for "commercial purposes".

The Italian databinieri added that Google "will have to submit to the Guarantor, by September 30, 2014, a verification protocol, which will become binding once signed".

Google said in a statement to The Register:

We've engaged fully with the Italian DPA throughout this process to explain our privacy policy and how it allows us to create simpler, more effective services, and we'll continue to do so. We'll be reading their report closely to determine next steps.